my mother would always answer the socialization bs with "where do public school children learn to relate to very old people, or babies, or those sith learning disabilities? how does a child get prepared for the "real world" in a classroom full of kids their age and one authority figure? I still shock people by my ability to walk into new social situations and talk to strangers. i may not be good at tactfully relating, but i ain't scared of wierdos!
Exactly! Separating them by age is possibly one of the most damaging bits. It's so good you aren't afraid of weirdos cause there's lots of us!